Dutch in the dark while World Cup team put to the sword

AMSTERDAM, March 17 (Reuters) The Netherlands became part of Cricket World Cup history 24 hours earlier but today few of their citizens knew much about it.

The hapless Dutch were trounced by 221 runs by world number one team South Africa yesterday and during the match Herschelle Gibbs struck a record six sixes in an over against the Netherlands' spinner Daan van Bunge in St Kitts.

Nobody had before hit a maximum 36 in a World Cup or one-day international over.

''South Africa much too strong, Dutch cricketers outclassed at World Cup,'' read the headline of the match report in quality broadsheet NRC Handelsblad, who also carried a picture of the match on its front page.

It was news to people on the street, however.

''I didn't know there was a Dutch team. But I guess they have teams for everything,'' said Giovanni, who works in a Haarlem hospital.

''I think there was something on the radio this morning,'' said a pensioner out for a walk in Amsterdam's Buitenveldert neighbourhood, admitting to only limited knowledge about cricket. ''I know it's a ball sport but that's about it.'' ''We're only crazy about football,'' said an Amsterdam couple, doing their Saturday shopping.

REUTERS DH VC2135